Two Worcester men held in Southbridge shooting

Thursday

Jun 20, 2013 at 6:00 AMJun 20, 2013 at 10:26 AM

By Brian Lee TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

After arranging a drug buy, the would-be buyer was pistol-whipped and shot in the leg by one of two men from Worcester, police alleged. The victim said he ran upstairs and jumped from a second-floor Dean Street porch.

Alleged shooter Keith Massicotte, 29, of 74 Easter St., Apt. 3, and Seth Cross, 20, of 315 Lovell St., both of Worcester, were ordered held without bail Wednesday in Dudley District Court pending a June 25 dangerousness hearing.

Both men pleaded not guilty to armed assault to murder, armed assault to commit robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a large capacity firearm, possessing ammunition without a Firearm ID Card and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

A tenant of 16 Dean St. told police Mr. Cross, Mr. Massicotte and another man were in an apartment there drinking beer.

The shooting victim told police he went to the apartment to buy drugs from Mr. Cross, and after the deal was arranged, Mr. Cross closed the door.

Soon after, Mr. Massicotte appeared and attacked him, the man said, according to reports. He hit him several times in the head with the gun and unsuccessfully tried to put the weapon in his mouth, the victim said.

Mr. Massicotte then allegedly placed the gun against the victim's leg and fired a round, police reports show.

The victim, who was shot in his right thigh and suffered a “significant” laceration on his forehead, jumped from a porch and fled to nearby 38 Foster St., police said.

Through an overnight investigation, police found the two suspects Tuesday afternoon hiding in the third-floor apartment at 121 Elm St. A loaded 9-mm handgun was under a mattress, police said.

Mr. Cross allegedly admitted to the crime.

He said he had been living in the Dean Street apartment the past two months, the report said.